The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (2007)

Directed by: Robert Berlinger | 95 minutes | action, comedy, adventure | Actors: Jonathan Bennett, Randy Wayne, April Scott, Christopher McDonald, Willie Nelson, Harland Williams, Joel Moore, Todd Grinnell, Adam Shulman, Sherilyn Fenn, Alex Boling, Kimberly Bosso, Trishelle Cannatella, Challen Cates, Casey Durkin, Brittney Harrington, Jennifer Hill, Joshua Mason, Carrie Minter, Beans Morocco, Vanessa Motta, Patricia Nasr, Sy Richardson, Kym Stys, Sam Zeller

In this prequel to the wildly popular television series ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ (1979-1985), the viewer learns how it all came to be. Cousins ​​Bo and Luke’s parents are distraught. So they send their sons, who race down the road like a race car driver or develop fireworks that detonate various kinds of shit, to their Uncle Jesse’s farm in Hazzard County. There they will learn what hard work is.

They work very hard indeed, but mainly as deliverers of the illegal alcohol distilled by Uncle Jesse according to an old family tradition. Uncle Jesse is under a lot of pressure. Boss Hogg wants to make a deal with him that he doesn’t feel like, and as leverage, Hogg threatens to take the money-plagued Jesse from his farm. The cousins ​​pull a ’69 Charger out of the water, fix it up with the help of the super-handy Cooter (Joel Moore) and then deliver the illegal goods at lightning speed in this ‘General Lee’. This allows Uncle Jesse to ramp up production and hopefully get the money in time. Their niece Daisy Duke (April Scott) also wants to do her part and applies for a job at the hip place ‘Boar’s Nest’, but is ignominiously rejected by the new owner Hughie (Todd Grinnell). She decides on the spot that not only does she want a job, but also Hughie. At home she takes off her glasses, lets her hair down and a tight blouse and minimal denim shorts do the rest. But no matter how the three try, Uncle Jesse can’t seem to prevent the loss of the farm, which has been in the family’s possession for 150 years. Especially not if he ends up in jail.

Typically an American teen movie with lots of bare breasts, corny jokes about sex, losing your virginity and getting completely drunk on the first alcohol experience. But despite these clichés, the film is entertaining to watch. Especially thanks to Willie Nelson who leads his nephews even further from the straight path with his unusual life wisdom and Joel Moore who nicely portrays the eccentric Cooter with his inimitable statements. The crazy nicknames that Cooter distributes for free are also funny because of the laconic way in which he lets them roll out of his mouth. The chases and stunts with ‘General Lee’ are also fine, as is the image of a small community in which people have to live with each other’s quirks year after year.

‘The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning’ is a fun teen movie with the necessary clichés, but entertaining to watch and with genuine fun from the actors. Especially with Willie Nelson, who also crawls behind the microphone with his inseparable guitar with visible enthusiasm.